insurgents in the North-East have given
a rare account of what life was for them
as captives in the camp of the dreaded
sect.
While one of the lady who was held
captive for about 15 days, said she had
a marriage proposal from one of the
Boko Haram militants, the other said
she was almost turned into a killer.
"They were slitting people's
throats with knives. Both women
and men were killed, especially
the men who didn't agree to fight
for them. Those that tried to
escape were shot but they hardly
ever used their guns to kill. They
usually used knives. About 50
people were killed right in front of
me."
"They asked me if I am Christian
or Muslim. I said I am a
Christian."
Said 23-year-old Liatu, as she recounted
her ordeal in the hands of the Boko
Haram sect to the BBC.
"On the 11th day (in captivity), they
brought a man to me and said that he
liked me and that I should convert to
Islam so that he can marry me," she
added in the report published by the
BBC on Monday.
Liatu claimed that in Sambisa Forest,
Borno State, where she was taken to
after being seized at a roadblock last
year, she witnessed the killing of 50
persons by the insurgents.
According to her, the insurgents, who
had earlier killed Muslims employed by
the government, preferred to use
knives to slit peoples' throats than
shooting them.
Liatu also told the BBC that the
terrorists were usually tipped off about
any imminent attack by the army.
This, she claimed, allowed the militants
to hide in caves and forests close to the
Cameroonian border.
Liatu, who refused to eat anything
during her days in captivity, added that
after being told about the proposed
marriage, she made an extremely risky
escape.
She said, "One of the captives stood up
and said, 'You only die once. Who is
ready to make a run for it?' Six of us
jumped into one of the Boko Haram
vehicles in the camp – a Volkswagen
Golf.
"They chased us on motorbikes,
shooting at the car until we got close to
Bama town. Then they left and we got
out of the car to continue on foot as
there was a curfew in place. It was only
then that I realised the three people on
the backseat had all been shot dead."
Just like Liatu, 19-year-old Janet, said
she witnessed the slaughtering of
people by the militants.
"They went to Gwoza and brought five
people to the camp. They started
slaughtering them in front of me," said
Janet, who was in the insurgents' den
for three months.
At a point, she said the insurgents
ordered her to slit the throat of one of
the captured people but she refused.
"Then they ordered me to slit one of
their throats. I refused. I told them I
couldn't do it. Then the wife of the
leader of the group killed him instead."
Janet said.
She said she recognised the faces of the
men who held her captive as most of
them came from her area. Janet said, "I
knew almost all the people in the group
I was with. I knew them from my
home area.
"I was really angry and when I couldn't
keep quiet any longer, I said to one of
them, 'When we were at home you
would even visit me and I respected
you. So why are you doing this to me'?"
Ladies are being killed and others used
as séx slave in the jungle. Nigerian
soldiers really need to do more.
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